Amir Khalil
Appearances
Global News Podcast
The Happy Pod: From security guard to sculptor at the Met Museum
Once I moved, of course the reality was different. It's not like a movie. I mean, struggling to live and find a place to sleep, and it was really kind of struggling into... make some art or back to my tools. Of course, it's not easy. And I got sick a little bit because of the wizard. So the Met was the very first museum and almost like first place ever to visit in New York.
Global News Podcast
The Happy Pod: From security guard to sculptor at the Met Museum
It is really surreal for me and it's overwhelming now. And I'm really grateful, of course, but it's really surreal still, by the way, even though I talk about it and I... trying to understand it because I never planned this. Even though in my dreams, I never dreamed I would like one day I would be standing in the mid as an artist in a major exhibit. It's surreal. It's magical. It's so divine.
Global News Podcast
The Happy Pod: From security guard to sculptor at the Met Museum
Oh yeah, of course, I've been working now for, this is almost my 13th now, I'm going to my 13th year, surrounding all kinds of arts and history from all over the world. I mean, for everybody here at the Met, it's the museum, our museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, has an amazing collection of all kinds of arts and history from all over the world.
Global News Podcast
The Happy Pod: From security guard to sculptor at the Met Museum
So it's really an amazing place and I like walking every day in the galleries, looking to the art around me. Of course, it's really inspiring and it's really amazing feelings to be surrounded by all this art and artists and their spirits around. It's really an amazing experience.
Global News Podcast
The Happy Pod: From security guard to sculptor at the Met Museum
It was almost, I would say, early August 2023 and it was just...
Global News Podcast
The Happy Pod: From security guard to sculptor at the Met Museum
like very normal day for me as a security officer and i was like trying to help one of the visitors at this point he seemed for me like he's a normal visitor coming around and he can tell from his face that he's looking for something so i approached him trying to help and his answer yes i'm looking for a painting the name of this painting was flight into egypt of course my i knew it and i knew it and i told him yeah let me walk you it's in my galleries and just in a few seconds we were
Global News Podcast
The Happy Pod: From security guard to sculptor at the Met Museum
talking I was really curious to know why he's looking for this painting and I told him that of course told him I'm Egyptian too and I'm an artist and he got his badge the museum's badge and showed to me and he said my name is Achille Tomasino I'm the creator of modern contemporary art here at the Met and the conversation now is like totally different he told me about his plan he's planning for a major exhibit under the same name of this painting that we are standing in front of which is Flight into Egypt and that was the start.
Global News Podcast
The Happy Pod: From security guard to sculptor at the Met Museum
The sculpture, of course, is inspired by the Egyptian art and it was carved out of one piece of wood, ash wood. And I made it especially for this show after our talk and after I was inspired by his invitation and his generosity, actually.
Global News Podcast
The Happy Pod: From security guard to sculptor at the Met Museum
Oh, my God. I still, by the way, I still remember that feeling and still see myself walking in the galleries as a visitor. It's kind of a surreal question for myself because now I work at the Met as a security officer and I know the galleries, I know the places I visited. In 2006, almost I could see myself walking.
Global News Podcast
The Happy Pod: From security guard to sculptor at the Met Museum
I was really kind of flying and happy, kind of virtually hugging the arts and the Egyptian, of course. Yeah, I would say I'm still happy. That was really kind of an inspiring visit. really an amazing experience. And I still have it. It's still as it happened to me like 10 seconds ago.
Global News Podcast
The Happy Pod: From security guard to sculptor at the Met Museum
Yes, ma'am. And I'm grateful. I'm really grateful. It's been really amazing. I mean, the museum for me, it's more than home.
Global News Podcast
The Happy Pod: From security guard to sculptor at the Met Museum
I never dreamed that one day I would be standing in the middle as an artist. In a major exhibit, it's surreal, it's magical.